David L. Johns, twelfth president of Ferrum College
FERRUM, VA (November 1, 2022) – Today, David L. Johns announced his resignation as president of Ferrum College effective Nov. 7, 2022.
“I am proud of all we have accomplished these past five years and the way we have worked together to make Ferrum a great place to live, work, study, and play. I appreciate the support I have received from the Board throughout this process,” Johns wrote.
Following Johns’ announcement, Ferrum College Board of Trustees Chair Scott Showalter ’73 shared that the trustees have begun the process for selecting an interim president to oversee Ferrum College while they prepare for a national search for the next president.
Prior to the appointment of an interim president, Kevin P. Reilly, vice president for Academic Affairs, has been named chief operating officer of the College. Showalter expressed the board’s appreciation for Reilly’s willingness to assume the leadership role during this time of transition. “We are confident in Dr. Reilly’s ability, and that of the entire president’s cabinet, to lead the College over the coming months,” said Showalter.
“We are grateful for [David Johns’] service to the College and his many contributions during his tenure as president, including managing the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic and for his efforts in establishing the strategic direction of the College,” said Showalter. “On behalf of the Board of Trustees, we wish Dr. Johns all the best in his next endeavor.”
Additional information about the transition in leadership will be shared as it becomes available.
FERRUM, VA (October 28, 2022) – On Friday, November 11, 2022, Ferrum alumnus and Lieutenant Colonel Derek R. Baird ’96 will be the keynote speaker during Ferrum College’s annual Veterans Day ceremony. The ceremony will be held at 11:30 a.m. in Vaughn Chapel and is open to the community.
Originally from Virginia Beach, VA, LTC Baird enlisted in 1997 and was selected for Officer Candidate School and commissioned Second Lieutenant in the Field Artillery in 2000.
LTC Baird’s next assignment was to Fort Hood, TX where he ultimately deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom II. Following the career course, LTC Baird returned to Fort Hood, where he served as the 2-4 CAV Task Force Fire Support Officer and the Commander of Battery Alpha, 1-82 FA where he deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom 06-08.
LTC Baird’s next assignment took him to the National Training Center, where he served on the Tarantula and Wolf Teams as an Observer/Controller-Trainer. Following the U.S. Army Command and Staff College, LTC Baird served as the 3rd Infantry Division’s Deputy Chief of Fires, where he deployed to Afghanistan, and served as the 1-9 FA and 3ID Division Artillery Operations Officers. LTC Baird then served as the Joint Fire Support Officer for the 1st German-Netherlands Corps, a NATO Rapid Deployable Corps. His next assignment was back at Ford Hood as the Commander of the 3rd Battalion, 16th Field Artillery Regiment Battalion, deploying his Battalion to Europe as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve.
LTC Baird is currently a student at the United States Army War College. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Ferrum College, and a Master of Science in Administration from Central Michigan University.
LTC Baird is married to the former Jolinda Bandy from Ohio, and they have two dogs, Layla and Joker.
FERRUM, VA (October 25, 2022) – In his new book, The Magi: Who They Were, How They’ve Been Remembered, and Why They Still Fascinate, Ferrum College religion professor Eric Vanden Eykel helps readers better understand both the Magi and the ancient and modern interpreters who have studied them.
Vanden Eykel has long been fascinated by the “wise men” or “Magi” in the Gospel of Matthew who come to Bethlehem bearing gifts for the newly born Jesus. He has also been dissatisfied with how he heard scholars and ministers explain the significance of the story. In The Magi — published today by Fortress Press — Vanden Eykel shows how, from a mere twelve verses in the Gospel of Matthew, a varied and vast literary and artistic tradition was born.
“I thought it would be interesting to write a book about who Matthew imagined these characters to be, and how others have thought about them as well,” explained Vanden Eykel. “My hope is that this book will help readers rediscover the Magi and also come to a greater appreciation of the awe and creativity that their story has inspired over the past two-thousand years.”
The Magi is one of two Vanden Eykel books published this month. He also co-edited Sex, Violence, and Early Christian Texts with Christy Cobb, assistant professor of Christianity at University of Denver. Published by Lexington Books, this collection of essays explores examples of sexual violence and mentions of it in the literature of early Christianity in canonical and noncanonical Christian texts from the first until the fifth centuries CE.
Vanden Eykel, who is also the Forrest S. Williams Teaching Chair in the Humanities at Ferrum College, began work on both books at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic using time he previously spent commuting before the College went online. “One thing I discovered about myself is that I’m someone who deals with stress by taking on additional tasks. I think that’s probably the best explanation for why I’ve spent the past two years working on two different books,” said Vanden Eykel.
Kevin Reilly, vice president for Academic Affairs and professor of Psychology at Ferrum College, said the College is proud of what VandenEykel accomplished in such a short time. “In addition to being an excellent teacher, Dr. Vanden Eykel is a talented scholar. These two works add great value to the literature in both Ancient History and Religion,” said Reilly.
“These books made life exceedingly busy for the past couple of years, but it’s such a rewarding experience to see both of them finally in print,” Vanden Eykel concluded.
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Eric Vanden Eykel, associate professor of Religion and Forrest S. Williams Teaching Chair in the Humanities at Ferrum College, will be available to sign both of his new books — The Magi: Who They Were, How They’ve Been Remembered, and Why They Still Fascinate and Sex, Violence, and Early Christian Texts — during an event held in his honor that will be held at 7 p.m. on Monday, November 14, 2022, in the Panthers Den in Franklin Hall on campus.
Learn more about The Magi: Who They Were, How They’ve Been Remembered, and Why They Still Fascinate, published by Fortress Press, here.
Learn more about Sex, Violence, and Early Christian Text, published by Lexington Books, here.
Ferrum College will honor the Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2022 during a ceremony on Saturday, November 12, 2022, which will be held at 10 a.m. (registration begins at 9 a.m.) in the Blue Ridge Mountain Room in Franklin Hall on campus. This year’s honorees, which include three former football players, a three-sport student-athlete, and a golfer, are:
Members of the Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2022 will also be introduced at halftime of Ferrum’s Old Dominion Athletic Conference football game against Averett University later that day.
Register to attend this year’s Sports Hall of Fame Ceremony here.
Ferrum College’s Student Newspaper Launches a New Website to Reach Broader Audiences
The clacking of keyboards. Giddy laughter. Nervous tension filled the newsroom the morning of the website launch, as reporters awaited the start of the next chapter for their paper.
The Iron Blade, Ferrum College’s student run newspaper, has been publishing for 67 years, and last year won a first-place award from the American Scholastic Press Association. However, this year marks the first year of digital publication on the website, a step forward for the student-run newspaper.
“What I love about the site is that it goes far beyond its hardcopy predecessor by being a multimedia window in the heart and soul of Ferrum College,” President David Johns said, following the launch of the new website.
The website went live Sept. 1 and will contain a variety of news content, including sports, entertainment alumni news, and videos. The site is being frequently updated by staff writers to provide up-to-date and current stories.
“To be able to have an independent website that may be constantly updated with current information really takes the program and the publication deeper into the 21st Century,” David Campbell, journalism professor and advisor to The Iron Blade, said. “This is where journalism is today, and our students are meeting it head on.”
The staff intend to use the new website as a way to reach a broader audience, and connect students with the goings-on both on campus and in the Ferrum Community as a whole, a goal the college supports.
“This provides the opportunity for our award-winning newspaper to reach a broader office and to provide even more current information,” Kevin Reilly, Vice President of Academic Affairs, said.
The Iron Blade’s new website can be reached at www.ironbladenews.com.
Ferrum College alumna and former Boone Honors Program member Suzie Maines ’21 double majored in Spanish and International Studies. A native of Winchester, Virginia, Maines currently works in Madrid, Spain, through the North American Language And Culture Program (NALCAP). Since January 2022, Maines has taught English to public high school students in Madrid and helped them with their language skills.
During her time at Ferrum College and with the support of a Boone Honors Program travel scholarship, Maines studied abroad in both Seville, Spain in summer 2019 and in Havana, Cuba for the fall semester. For Maines, both of the experiences were life-changing and some of the best times she experienced while in college. Maines said that in addition to helping her language skills, studying abroad taught her a lot in general and she loved every second of it.
Lana Whited, professor of English and director of the Boone Honors Program, remembers Maines’ time at Ferrum College fondly. “I would say that the most interesting thing about Suzie is that she possesses a very quiet, introverted demeanor but is one of the most adventurous people I have ever met. She is also a talented photographer and contributed a Chrysalis cover photo a few years ago,” said Whited.
Sandra Via, former dean of the School of Graduate and Professional Studies and associate professor of Political Science, recognized Maines’ love of other cultures and travel the moment she stepped into the classroom. “Suzie is such an inspiration to me and others. Her thirst for learning about other cultures and her drive to pursue that passion through her travels and career reflect what Ferrum is all about. She truly entered with promise and is now pursuing her purpose.”
Maines loves both her job and Madrid. “The culture, food, and social life here are simply amazing. Maybe not the summer, but that’s because Madrid’s heat is especially unbearable. I’ve renewed my contract with the Ministry of Education and I’ll be doing the same program again at the same school for the 2022-2023 school year,” she said.
Maines reflected on how the Boone Honors Program impacted her life, the extra opportunities the program added to her educational experience at Ferrum College, and how honors education benefited her upon graduation and beyond. “The Boone Honors Program gave me the opportunity to make friends and [meet] professors who inspired me to make the most of my time at Ferrum. I still keep up with my friends from my very first HON-100 class and I cherish the time we spent together,” said Maines.
“Now that I’ve graduated from Ferrum, I continue to seek out new opportunities abroad. Currently I am living in Madrid, Spain teaching English as a language assistant at a high school called I.E.S. Las Veredillas in Torrejón de Ardoz. This wouldn’t be possible if it weren’t for the experiences I had in Ferrum and in the Boone Honors Program,” concluded Maines.
The Boone Honors Program was established in 2001 under the direction of Professor Emeritus of Religion David Howell and is named in honor of former Ferrum College President Jerry Boone and his wife, Shirley. Currently under the direction of Professor of English Lana Whited, it is an interdisciplinary, liberal arts program committed to challenging students enrolled in the program, and the campus culture as a whole, to strive for excellence. Students in the program have the opportunity to study language through the intermediate level, take small multidisciplinary seminars for some of their general education requirements, work closely with professors in courses within their major or minor, present research at undergraduate research conferences, attend special dinners with visiting campus guests and speakers, and participate in special Honors social activities and trips. Besides the academic opportunities, benefits include friendships with faculty and other students from across the college who may share similar interests and passions, chances to examine and clarify values and ideals, having stimulating and broadening cultural experiences, and getting a head start on preparing for graduate school or one’s career. In addition, every student in the program is eligible to receive up to $3,000 in travel scholarship for a study abroad experience.
FERRUM, VA (September 21, 2022) – Ferrum College recently welcomed Alex Southworth-Molchan to the campus community as director of Human Resources. In addition to traditional human resources responsibilities such as recruiting and administration, in her new role Southworth-Molchan will help shape a new vision for human resources in a time when societal expectations about work are changing.
“My passion is developing people, programs, and initiatives that bring lasting, positive change and efficiency. In addition to my HR certifications, I am an ICF (International Coach Federation) Certified Coach, working with individuals and teams to reach their professional goals. My strengths and expertise all hinge on one thing; building relationships,” said Southworth-Molchan.
Southworth-Molchan has over twenty-seven years of experience in human resources in various industries including human services, defense, government, education, banking, museums, and retail. She was most recently employed by SAM, Inc. for over nine years where she served as director of People Strategies and Development, focused on leading a team of human resource professionals, and worked closely with the consulting and shared services customer groups. Her core practice areas include executive and corporate/career coaching; talent acquisition; total rewards; labor and employee relations; staff development; policy and procedure creation/implementation; and software implementation and management.
A Pittsburgh, PA native and current resident of Moneta,VA, Southworth-Molchan received her undergraduate degree from Indiana University, dual majoring in English and Criminal Justice. She is currently enrolled in the Michigan State University/Broad College of Business Master’s in Leadership & Strategy Program, with an anticipated graduation date of spring 2023.
Southworth-Molchan and her husband, Gregg, have one son, Garrett, who is currently a senior at the University of Pittsburgh majoring in English Writing.
FERRUM, VA (September 15, 2022) – Ferrum College Arthur, 1913, and Beckham Giving Society members gathered on Saturday, September 10, 2022, to celebrate the impact of the $3.2 million the College received during the 2021–2022 fiscal year. Donors enjoyed a luncheon, a keynote address from President David Johns, and met two students—Makayla Fincanon and JaQuice Sydnor—who shared how the ongoing financial support to the college made their college experience possible.
Fincanon, a junior Political Science major, explained how the sense of community at Ferrum has equipped her to dream big and pursue a career as a criminal law attorney.
“Ferrum made me believe no dream is too big. With such a small community you have someone in your corner, some connection, and someone helping you achieve your dreams every day. Ferrum made me realize the sky truly is the limit when you have such a strong foundation of people rooting for you. [It] made me a go-getter [who] turned my dreams into plans,” said Fincanon.
Attendees also heard from Sydnor, a senior Recreation Leadership major, who shared his inspirational story of overcoming a difficult childhood to being a senior at college. He detailed how he has learned much more than academics during his Ferrum College experience, including the importance of perspective, financial responsibility, and mental health.
“Ferrum put great people in my life to hold expectations for me and point out the greatness I had inside of me. I would like to thank Ferrum for accepting me as one of their own and pushing the boy in me to become a man. The values I now carry with me everyday were born in this very place,” said Sydnor, who continued, “I look forward to walking across the stage as a graduate of Ferrum College next spring. I know that my possibilities are endless.”
Over the past three years, Ferrum has experienced a 62% increase in giving from $1.9 million in 2020 to the $3.2 million in 2022, which includes $835,000 in scholarships and another $600,000 in grants providing students academic and financial support. Giving society members also supported capital improvement projects including updating the soon-to-be-named Vickie Van Kleeck Softball Complex; a new driving range for the men’s and women’s golf teams; and the establishment of the Richard L. Smith Center for International Programs in memory of Richard Smith, a longtime history professor at the College who passed away in 2021.
Vice President for Institutional Advancement Wilson Paine thanked donors for continuing to make attending Ferrum College possible for so many students. Paine noted the importance of not only focusing on cost, but also recognizing the value of the entire educational experience.
“I think the students who shared their stories today reflect Ferrum’s worth and the difference it has made in their lives,” said Paine.
Because of your support, we are able to ensure Ferrum remains affordable and attainable for our students, even while we continue to build for the future by rolling out new programs like nursing, graduate programs, renovating buildings, and everything else that goes into running a college. Thank you for joining us in making that possible for these students and many more to come,” Paine concluded.
About the photograph above: Ferrum College juniors JaQuice Sydnor (left) and Makayla Fincanon (right) spoke during the President’s Luncheon, sharing how the ongoing financial support to the College made their college experience possible. View additional event photographs below or click here.
Ferrum College is pleased to announce this year’s three annual alumni awards: Young Alumni, Distinguished Alumni and Beckham Medallion. The awards are part of a tradition begun with recognition of several college founders and leaders from the 1920s. Winners are nominated by alumni, faculty, or staff, vetted by the Nominations Committee of the Alumni Board of Directors, and approved by the president.
The 2022 recipients will be recognized in an awards ceremony during the Homecoming Weekend festivities Saturday, October 15, 2022, at 11:00 a.m. in the Blue Ridge Mountain Room located in Franklin Hall. All Ferrum College alumni are invited to attend.
Young Alumni: Matthew Woods ’11
The Young Alumni award is given to a young alumnus/ae who has demonstrated professional and personal success since graduating from Ferrum College within the last 15 years.
Matthew Woods, a resident of Rocky Mount, Virginia, has served over twelve years assisting students, educators, and schools in a variety of roles. His professional experience includes being a high school social studies teacher, middle and high school assistant principal, middle school principal, director of student support services, adjunct professor, and field instructor at the collegiate level for student-teachers. Additionally, Woods hosts an education podcast, Leading Out The Woods, and is an accomplished keynote speaker and educational consultant.
Woods’ leadership and innovative approaches have led him to be recognized by numerous organizations including ASCD (Emerging Leaders Class 2021) and recipient of LG’s Happiness League Award. Woods earned a Bachelor of Science in History and Social Studies from Ferrum College, a Master of Education in Educational Leadership and Administration from Virginia Tech, a graduate certificate in Education Law and Policy, and an Educational Specialist in Middle Grades Education from the University of Georgia. Woods is in the process of completing his doctoral studies in Educational Leadership and Administration from Radford University with an expected graduation date of December 2022.
Distinguished Alumni: Carthan Currin ’84
The Distinguished Alumni Award recipient exemplifies a record of exceptional career achievement and service to their community, church or other organizations; were active in college life; and remain involved and supportive of Ferrum College as alumni.
Carthan F. Currin, III, a resident of Richmond, Virginia, graduated from Ferrum College with a degree in Public Administration. A native of Petersburg, Virginia, his distinguished career in public service and economic development includes executive positions with the City of Petersburg, the County of Brunswick, and the City of Richmond. Experience in the private sector placed Currin in the forefront of economic and commercial development, infrastructure improvements, utility regulation, education, and work-force training.
Currin’s cumulative work with the General Assembly, governors of Virginia, and mayors of Richmond and Petersburg led to his appointment by Governor Jim Gilmore as the first executive director of the Virginia Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission. In this role, he directed more than $390 million in investments in the tobacco region supporting economic development, research and development, tourism, workforce development, higher education, technology, and agribusiness.
Currently, Currin serves as the president of the Commonwealth Alliance for Rural Colleges, an organization to which he has long-standing ties, first as a board member and then as chairman of the board. The Commonwealth Alliance for Rural Colleges is a nonprofit dedicated to providing resources and leveraging economic development and public and private sector alliances on behalf of Appalachian School of Law, Averett University, Bluefield University, Eastern Mennonnite University, and Ferrum College.
In addition to his professional achievements, Currin has served on the boards of the Virginia Tourism Corporation, Southside VA Community College Foundation, Scenic Virginia, Battersea Foundation, and the Ferrum Alumni Association.
Beckham Medallion: Phyllis Karavatakis ’76
The Beckham Medallion, named after Dr. Benjamin M. Beckham, the first president of Ferrum College, is the highest tribute bestowed upon an alumnus/a. The distinction honors those who exemplify the College motto, Not Self, But Others and who have demonstrated exceptional career success, service to their community, and dedication to Ferrum College.
Phyllis Karavatakis, a resident of Union Hall, Virginia, is a proven C-suite executive recognized for driving organizational change, business transformation, and continuous improvement. For more than twenty-five years, Karavatakis has been a senior/executive level manager, responsible for achieving financial performance and strategic objectives for Carter Bank & Trust, a community bank with $4 billion in assets, in Virginia and North Carolina. With direct responsibility for 110 branches and more than 600 employees, Karavatakis led retail and commercial lines of business, sourced and managed a successful multi-billion dollar loan portfolio, and maintained oversight accountability for marketing, mortgage and loan servicing operations.
A graduate of Franklin County High School, Karavatakis earned an Associate Degree from Ferrum College, a Bachelor Degree in Finance and Accounting from the University of Richmond, and completed the Virginia Bankers Association School of Bank Management through the University of Virginia. She has held multiple executive appointments including chairman and Audit Committee chairman of the Ferrum College Board of Trustees; president and board director of Southside Business Technology Center/The Launch Place; chairman of the Foundation Committee of Piedmont Arts; chairman of the Martinsville and Henry County Chamber of Commerce; and a board member of United Way of Martinsville & Henry County, Patrick Henry Community College Foundation, and Southern Virginia Recreation Facilities Authority. Karavatakis has also been honored with multiple awards and distinctions including the lifetime achievement award at Carter Bank & Trust; the Heck Ford Leadership Award at Martinsville and Henry County Chamber of Commerce; and president of the largest community bank at Women in Executive Leadership.For additional information about the Ferrum College Alumni Awards Ceremony and to RSVP by October 5, 2022, click here.
The Carter Center for Academic Success and the Panther Academic Den (PAD) recently awarded the inaugural Bob Davis Academic Grit Award to Jaylyn Gray-Palmore, a rising senior majoring in Health and Human Performance, from Charlotte, NC.
Gray-Palmore is an outside linebacker for the Ferrum College football team and has been selected as a 2022 team captain. He earned 2021-22 ODAC All-Academic Team honors and has earned Dean’s List recognition. Gray-Palmore is also a member of Ferrum’s Brother4Brother peer mentor program.
Gray-Palmore is a 20-year cancer survivor. His positive and effervescent personality has led to teammates referring to him as a “hype guy”. He shared that he has fully enjoyed his Ferrum experience. “Jaylan wants to be remembered as ‘a good, smiling person who shows love to everybody’. This young man is the embodiment of the true meaning of student-athlete,” said Director of the PAD Tom Steele.
The award, named in memory of Coach Bob Davis, was made possible through a memorial gift from the Davis family following Coach Davis’ passing in May of 2021. The father-in-law of former head football coach Rob Grande, Coach Davis was an assistant defensive coach for the Panthers. He also served student-athletes as an academic tutor in the PAD. Coach Davis was loved and appreciated by all students with whom he interacted.
Steele shared, “Bob was one-of-a-kind, just a really fine individual. He was one of the most intelligent individuals I’ve known and possessed a gift of helping students process information. He was a dear friend and is sorely missed by his students and by all of us in the PAD.”
The Bob Davis Academic Grit award is given to the Ferrum football player who made the most improvement in GPA. Gray-Palmore was selected for the award due to his consistent work with Coach Davis in the PAD, which led to improving his semester GPA from 2.15 to 3.60. Coach Davis always referred to Gray-Palmore as “Dean’s List Gray-Palmore” and was extremely proud of this young man.
Ferrum College congratulates Jaylyn Gray-Palmore and extends sincere appreciation to the family of Bob Davis for keeping Coach’s legacy alive.
The Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) announced its 2021-22 All-Academic Team on Monday, July 25 and Ferrum College continued its multi-year streak of 100-plus honorees with 143 student-athletes making the list.
Any student-athlete, regardless of academic class, who competes in a conference-sponsored sport and achieves at least a 3.25 grade point average for the academic year is eligible for consideration for ODAC All-Academic Team recognition.
This year marked the third straight season the ODAC All-Academic Team topped 2,500 honorees, with 2,505 honorees across the ODAC included in the 2021-2022 list. The 2021-2022 All-Academic Team also surpassed 1,000 for the 16th straight year, and surpassed 2,000 for the fifth time in six years.
Click here for a sortable list of Ferrum College student-athletes earning All-Academic Team honors.
On August 1, 2022, Ferrum College will welcome Sarah H. Bowman, JD, to the campus community as associate vice president for Institutional Advancement. In her new role, Bowman will provide leadership, direction, and coordination for internal and external communications, marketing, alumni relations, and special programs and events for the institution.
An Alleghany County native and graduate of Covington High School, Bowman received her Bachelor of Arts in history and English from the University of Virginia in 2003 and her Juris Doctor from Campbell University in 2007. Her career has been rich with experience in the legal profession, sales and marketing, recruitment, and advancement in a variety of settings including corporate, educational, and nonprofit organizations. As a professor, she also enjoys working with students in the classroom introducing them to basic legal concepts, guiding ethical discussions, and encouraging them to be engaged with the political process.
Bowman was most recently employed by Campbell University’s School of Osteopathic Medicine in Lillington, North Carolina, where she served as executive director of External Affairs and Alumni Engagement since 2020. Previously held positions at the school include director of Alumni Engagement and Health Policy beginning in 2017 and director of Marketing and Communications beginning in 2014.
Growing up in the Roanoke Valley, Bowman knows the value and legacy of Ferrum College to the region. She looks forward to working with the dedicated and experienced Institutional Advancement team to amplify the Ferrum College brand, tell its stories, and increase affinity among all constituencies. “My office will partner with institutional leadership to develop advancement strategies and lead a team that works collaboratively with students, alumni, and friends to meet these institutional goals,” she said.
Bowman and her husband, Dr. Andy Bowman, director of Continuing Education and clinical associate professor of Pharmacy Practice for the College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences at Campbell University, are both native Virginians. While Dr. Bowman will continue to serve in his current roles at Campbell University in the immediate future, they are both excited to make their long term home in Franklin County. “I grew up in Alleghany County and my husband’s family has been part of the agricultural and educational communities of Franklin County for generations. We are very happy to come home to the mountains to be a part of the invaluable service Ferrum College and its alumni provide to Southwest Virginia and beyond,” said Bowman.
